Drake slipped both arms into the shoulder straps of his pack so his hands would be free, then started to skirt his way down the mountain, grabbing hold of rocks and bushes when he needed to slow his descent. Charley followed, watching carefully, trusting only what held firm for him and putting her feet exactly where he put his. When the rock in front of them fell away, he put out his hand and stopped her from following.
“Let me take a look before you come any closer okay?”
“No problem.” She blinked her stinging eyes, turning out of the wind.
Drake dropped carefully onto his chest and grabbed onto the bare roots of the tree near the edge. Stretching out carefully over the side, he looked down and picked out their safest route before he finally worked himself back up to his knees.
Charley was clearly worried. He needed to reassure her if she was going to cooperate.
“It’s not too bad,” he said, trying to put a positive spin on a difficult situation. “If we go off from here and veer right we’ll be able to ride down the incline on our butts, at least part of the way. There’s plenty to grab hold of along the way.”
“Then what?”
Drake sighed. “It’s going to get trickier after that.”
Charley squeezed her eyes shut tight for a second. “How tricky?”
“I can’t honestly say. It’s hard to judge the distance from here. Do you want to take a look?”
She backed away, refusing. “No. If I do, I might never move.”
“Then don’t.” There was understanding and support in his eyes. “You’ll be okay. I’m looking out for you.”
How Drake thought he was going to help was a mystery, but it surprised her that just hearing it aloud helped. At least she wasn’t alone.
“You ready?” Drake asked.
“Not really but do we have a choice?”
He gave her a long look. “Just follow me down okay?”
She gave him a single nod and Drake shifted onto his seat then moved down and out of her line of sight.
“Crap,” she said unhappily and slid off solid rock after him.
It was a dusty, slippery slide down on their butts. Loose gravel broke away and flowed away from them as they grabbed for one thing after another so they didn’t follow the tumbling rocks over the side. The more treacherous the grade, the more she needed the sound of the distant thrum of the fire and the acrid smell of smoke on the wind to keep her from chickening out. She didn’t mind climbing onto roofs but this was insane.
“Drake,” she called out in a shaky voice. “I’m not insured for this either.”
He laughed. “You’re doing great, Charley. Keep coming. We’re almost there.”
“There where?” The branch she was holding suddenly pulled out of the soil and she made a frantic grab for a rock instead. “Shit.”
“There’s a small ledge coming up. Ten more feet, Charley.”
“Okay.”
“Keep your eyes on me. It’s on my right.”
“I see it.”
If she was going to keep going, she wasn’t looking at anything except him, especially not the steep face in front of her or the open sky on her left.
Drake’s heels hit solid rock and he worked himself up to his feet and turned to watch Charley sliding down to him.
“Grab my hand,” he said, reaching out. He heaved Charley up and back with him.
This ledge was about four feet at its widest with irregular blocky levels. They had less than seven feet of area to play with.
Drake shrugged out of his pack and got out the water bottle. “Here.” He handed it to Charley first.
She took just enough to quench her thirst and rinse the dust from her mouth.
“Thanks.” She passed it back and leaned against the stone wall, safely away from the edge. “This isn’t so bad.”
He stared straight out into open sky. They were a long way above the treetops and the riskiest part of their descent was next. Like it or not they had to keep going.
Drake tipped the bottle back then recapped it, squatting to put it away. When he rose, he looked at Charley, weighing something. “How are you holding up?”
She squared her shoulders and said peevishly, “I can make it if you can.”
He gave her a nod, glad to hear it. Charley’s proud determination might just hold panic at bay once they got going. Drake certainly hoped so anyway.
“This is where it gets tricky isn’t it?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes.” He didn’t want to lie to her. “I need to get a better look at it from here so I can pick out our best route down.”
Sliding the backpack safely out of the way with his foot, Drake dropped onto his stomach and stretched out toward the edge.
“Should I hold your ankles or something?” Charley asked uneasily.
“I’d appreciate it.”
She sat down and grabbed onto his calves, bracing her feet in case she needed traction.
Drake held onto whatever he could and stretched his head out over the side. Just like the first time he was slow to come up.
His expression was grave when he eventually pushed back onto his knees. It left Charley cold.
If he could sugar coat it he would, but that wasn’t going to prepare her. Drake took a deep breath. “Tricky doesn’t come close to describing it. We can make it but there’s no room for errors.”
“Shit. So what are we looking at here?”
Drake rubbed his face with a heavy hand. “It’s a hell of a climb. I wish we were equipped for this. A goddamned rope would be nice.” He shook his head.
“Maybe I should just wait here.” She crossed her arms and moved back against the rock wall.
Drake slipped his pack back on. “No. We go together.”
The wind had picked up and now there was an unmistakable, though still distant, roar carried along with the ash. The smoky air stung their eyes and sinuses. They couldn’t even swallow away the dry tang coating their throats but it wasn’t bad — yet. It was going to get a whole lot worse.
“Tell me how you expect us to do this,” she said her voice hoarse.
“I’ll go first, test the face, find our holds and when I reach the next ledge I’ll talk you down.”
“But it’s going to be tough.”
“Can’t help that.” He took a deep breath and gave her a long contemplative look. “I need to tell you something. We’re going to reach a point where we have to drop to the next ledge.”
The blood drained from Charley’s face and he hurried on. “Now, before you panic, it’s a short drop, two or three feet at most so it sounds worse than it probably is but I can’t see anything to grab onto from up here. There’s always a chance I’ll see something once I’m down there.”
Her face fell. “You’re serious.”
He nodded.
“Shit and pisser!” She almost sobbed when she asked, “What if you fall?”
He laughed bitterly. “Then we’re both probably fucked. But if I make that next ledge then I’ll be able to catch you when you let go and pull you to safety.”
“You mean I have to drop on top of you?”
He held up his hands and nodded. “That’s what I’m saying. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room down there.”
“And if I go first?”
“There’s a very good probability I’ll take us both over the edge. At least I have a better chance of catching you. There’s no way in hell it’s going to work the other way around.”
Charley groaned. “This sucks.”
They looked up when a ribbon of dark smoke streamed over the top of the mountain right where they’d been standing only fifteen minutes earlier.
He looked pointedly at her bruised fingers. “Can you do this?”
“I said I could,” she snapped, offended by the question.
“Glad to hear it because it’s now or never,” he said lowering himself. Drake took a deep breath and rolled over, dropping his legs over the side.
Charley grabbed the loop at the top of his pack, her face a complicated blend of fear and doubts.
Drake looked up into her eyes. “Let me go, Charley.”
She did, reluctantly. “You be careful.”
He managed a chuckle. “No shit.”
“I hate this.”
“I’m not crazy about it either.”
Drake squeezed his eyes closed for a quiet moment, then slid down until all she could see were his hands curled around the stones in front of her. She wanted to cry, especially when he let go with one hand. When his second hand disappeared, she sprawled onto her stomach and inched forward so she could lean out to watch his progress. Drake was careful, slow and determined — his face set as he concentrated on what had to be done.
More ash settled on her and she glanced up, but the vertigo alarmed her so she turned back. It was more important to focus on what they were doing anyway. She needed to concentrate on where they were going and ignore what they couldn’t control behind them. It was the only way.
Charley desperately wanted to encourage Drake, support him in some way but she was afraid of distracting him so she kept silent and fought back the stress internally.
Drake was almost eight feet below when he shifted to the right. He paused for a moment, clinging to the hard cliff like an insect before he stretched out with his right hand for a hold at chest level. Finding his crevice, he dug in as she hovered anxiously above him, her pale face strained. Then, before Charley could figure out what Drake had planned next, he let go with his left hand and dropped into a fast swinging arc. As his body shot right, he reached up and caught the same rock with his left hand too.
“Oh my freaking god,” she whimpered. That was close.
She stared down in horror as he rested his forehead against the rock and took another pause, his heavy breathing making her aware she’d stopped breathing herself.
Drake carefully worked himself down another two feet and looked around for the next hold. There wasn’t one. Without a word, he dropped the last three feet and hurled himself against the wall in front of him. Pressed against the cool stone face, he used the solid comfort of it to steady his nerves.
“Drake!”
“Give me a second.”
Once he was as calm as he could expect to be under the circumstances he stepped back and looked up. Charley was staring down on him, pale and wide-eyed.
“Are you okay?” she called.
“I’m fine. Were you watching where I put my hands?”
“Yes.” She made a reluctant face.
He smiled. “I’ll talk you down.”
“I don’t like this and I’m going to be seriously pissed off if this kills me.”
“I’m right here. Grab those rocks and work your legs over the side.”
“I really don’t like this,” she yelled, gritting her teeth as she inched her way off backwards. Double-checking her grip, she shoved off.
Charley gasped as her full weight jerked hard against her hands. She scrabbled with her toe, anxious to relieve the strain on her wrists.
“On your left,” Drake called to her. “Up a little, bend your leg. There it is. You’ve got it.”
“I feel it.”
“Next hold is straight down, move your right foot first.”
She grazed her toes along the face until she came to a small indentation.
“Good. One hand at a time, just in front of your shoulders. You’ll have to pull your left foot out first.”
“Give me a minute.” Yeah, a minute to panic.
“I’ve got my eye on you, Charley, I won’t let you fall.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Charley was sweating big time as she pulled her left foot free and stabbed below her for the next hidden cranny.
“You have to ease down a little first. It’s there but you’re above it. Good, move your foot to the right. There, just a couple more inches.”
She found the crevice then tightened up against the rock, holding on for dear life. It wasn’t so bad here. She could wait. Let Drake go and bring back help. She’d be fine. She gripped the rocks even more as the irrational plan seduced her into freezing. Her body and mind suddenly refused to cope with any more stress.
Drake’s neck was starting to kink, but he refused to take his eyes off her. Charley needed him and she wasn’t moving.
“Come on Charley, I can’t help you from here and you can’t stay there much longer without getting tired. Your right hand, honey, bring it down and grab the hold in front of you.”
She really needed a good cry somewhere private. The strain of this was getting to her and she hated that.
Drake watched Charley with growing trepidation. She was locked up and unable to move one way or another. He had to get her going again.
“Come on, Charley,” he said sternly. “You’re not going to let a little mountain get the best of you. Where’s your fight?”
Charley snorted at that. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“Then get your ass in gear.”
“Don’t rush me,” she growled.
Drake chuckled, relieved to hear the spirit back in her voice.
The muscles in Charley’s arms shook with tension as she took a deep breath and moved her right hand down. It was an awkward position and it forced her chest out from the rock. Not very comfortable with the hold, she stifled a sob and jammed her toe into the split even more.
“Left hand, Charley, time to bring your left hand down.”
“What about my left foot?”
“When you let go, there’s a rock about eight inches under you.”
“Don’t let me fall.”
“I won’t let you fall.”
Her whole body was shaking when she finally let go. Charley blinked back tears of relief when she caught the holds with both hand and foot at the same time. Expelling a ragged breath, she fought for the strength to keep going.
“Good. You’re doing beautifully. One more long reach to the right and I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Shit, you mean I’m there already?”
He tried not to laugh but couldn’t help himself. “Damn right. You’re amazing.”
“I’m afraid to look down.”
“Don’t. You shouldn’t have to. Just listen to me okay? I’ll get you there.”
“Okay.”
“On your right, there’s a good hold but you have to stretch. Its chest high, do you see it?”
“Give me a second.” She rested her cheek against the cool stone and tried to calm herself before making the next move.
“When you’re ready.”
“Okay, I see it.”
“Be ready to reach with your foot too because there’s a nice toe catch underneath it but you won’t be able to reach it until you let go with your left hand and swing down.”
“Oh shit.”
“Don’t go until you’re ready.”
“I’m not going to be ready — ever.”
“You’ve already impressed me. You’ve got more balls than most guys I know.”
Charley closed her eyes, counted to three, and announced, “I’m going.”
She threw out her right arm and wrapped her hand around the outcropping, dropping her right foot at the same time. She was stretched in a crooked spread eagle between two holds, not going anywhere. Her right foot dangled uselessly above her next foot support.
“How’s your right hand? Are you holding tight?”
“I’ve got a death grip going here.”
Drake smiled. “Good. You know what you have to do. When you let go with the left hand bring it over to the right and let your right toe ride down the face. You’ll find the crack.”
He was anything but calm but he needed to sound confident for her sake if this was going to work. It was a big stretch for her, maybe too big. It had been tough for him and he had longer arms. Was he expecting too much? Cold fear clutched his chest as he watched out for her, ready to act if he had to.
“Any last words?” he asked, forcing a light tone he didn’t feel.
“Funny,” she grumbled.
“Don’t move until you’re ready.”
“I’m going because I can’t hold this any longer.”
This wasn’t good, she was tiring. His body went on adrenaline alert, his racing heart pumping him full of energy.
Charley made a helpless cry in her throat when she pulled her foot free and reluctantly let go with her left hand. She dropped far faster than she expected, her body moving like a speeding pendulum across the solid surface and carrying her left arm away from the right hold. She fought like hell to bring her hand up to the other but she simply couldn’t manage it.
Drake stared in horror. Oh fuck.
“Your right foot, Charley! Bring it up six inches!”
She couldn’t find it, her foot scrabbled uselessly in the wrong spot and there was nothing he could do about it and all the encouragement wasn’t getting through to her. He’d never felt so powerless in his life.
“Charley, listen to me, bring your foot up six goddamned inches!” he yelled at her, his body one solid mass of tension.
She whimpered again and he could see her blood-blistered fingers slowly losing their grip. Charley’s left hand patted uselessly against the face, a good foot shy of where it needed to be.
“Oh god,” she gasped as her fingers pulled free.